X-Men Vol 1 138

Part of the "Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline X-Men Vol 1 #138 Published October, 1980 Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter Cover Artist John Byrne Terry Austin "Elegy" Writer Chris Claremont John Byrne Penciler John Byrne Inker Terry Austin Colourist Glynis Wein Letterer Tom Orzechowski Editor Louise Jones Previous Issue Next Issue X-Men #137 (series) X-Men #139 (story) King-Size Annual X-Men #4

Appearing in "Elegy"

Featured Characters:

• X-Men (Main story and flashback)
  • Cyclops (Scott Summers) (Main story and flashback) (Leaves team)
  • Storm (Ororo Munroe) (Main story and flashback)
  • Wolverine (Logan) (Main story and flashback)
  • Colossus (Peter Rasputin) (Main story and flashback)
  • Nightcrawler (Kurt Wagner) (Main story and flashback)
  • Professor X (Charles Xavier) (Main story and flashback)
  • Kitty Pryde (Main story and flashback) (Joins team)

Supporting Characters:

• Angel (Warren Worthington III) (Main story and flashback)
•  Beast (Hank McCoy)  (Main story and flashback)
• Iceman (Bobby Drake) (Main story and flashback)
• Empress Lilandra Neramani (Main story and flashback)
• John Grey
• Elaine Grey
• Sara Grey-Bailey
• Paul Bailey (Only appearance)^[85]

Antagonists:

• Magneto (Magnus) (Only in flashback)
• Vanisher (Only in flashback)
• The Blob (Fred Dukes) (Only in flashback)
• Toad (Mortimer Toynbee) (Only in flashback)
• Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde) (Only in flashback)
• The Stranger (Only in flashback)
• Juggernaut (Cain Marko) (Only in flashback)
• Sentinels (Only in flashback)
  • Master Mold (Only in flashback)
  • Sentinels Mk I (Only in flashback)
  • Sentinel Number 2 (Only in flashback)
  • Sentinels Mk II (Only in flashback)
  • Sentinels Mk III (Only in flashback)
• Lucifer (Only in flashback)
• Count Nefaria (Only in flashback)
• Unicorn (Milos Masaryk) (Only in flashback)
• Scarecrow (Ebenezer Laughton) (Only in flashback)
• Eel (Leopold Stryke) (Only in flashback)
• Plantman (Samuel Smithers) (Only in flashback)
• Porcupine (Alex Gentry) (Only in flashback)
• Locust (August Hopper) (Only in flashback)
• El Tigre (Juan Meroz) (Only in flashback)
• Super-Adaptoid (Only in flashback)
• Warlock (Maha Yogi) (Only in flashback)
• Cobalt Man (Ralph Roberts) (Only in flashback)
• Tyrannus (Romulus Augustulus) (Only in flashback)
• Mole Man (Harvey Elder) (Only in flashback)
• Mekano (Tom Regal) (Only in flashback)
• Mutant Master (Only in flashback)
• Grotesk (Only in flashback)
• Mesmero (Only in flashback)
• Living Monolith (Ahmet Abdol) (Only in flashback)
• Sauron (Karl Lykos) (Only in flashback)
• Lorelei (Only in flashback)
• Z'Nox (Only in flashback)
• Krakoa (Only in flashback)
• Ani-Men (Only in flashback)
  • Ape-Man (Gordon Keefer) (Only in flashback)
  • Bird-Man (Henry Hawk) (Only in flashback)
  • Cat-Man (Townshend Horgan) (Only in flashback)
  • Dragonfly (Veronica Dultry) (Only in flashback)
  • Frog-Man (Francois Le Blanc) (Only in flashback)
• Black Tom Cassidy (Only in flashback)
• Emperor D'Ken Neramani (Only in flashback)
• The Imperial Guard (Only in flashback)
  • Gladiator (Only in flashback)
  • Astra (Only in flashback)
  • Electron (Only in flashback)
  • Fang (Only in flashback)
  • Hobgoblin (Only in flashback)
  • Oracle (Only in flashback)
  • Quasar (Only in flashback)
  • Smasher (Only in flashback)
  • Starbolt (Only in flashback)
  • Tempest (Only in flashback)
  • Titan (Only in flashback)
  • Midget (Only in flashback)
• Garokk (Only in flashback)
• Moses Magnum (Only in flashback)
• Arcade (Only in flashback)
• Proteus (Kevin MacTaggert) (Only in flashback) in the body of Joe MacTaggert (Only in flashback)
• Hellfire Club (Only in flashback)
  • Black King (Sebastian Shaw) (Only in flashback)
  • Donald Pierce (Only in flashback)
  • Harry Leland (Only in flashback)
• Dark Phoenix (Jean Grey) (Only in flashback)

Other Characters:

• Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) (Only in flashback)
• Mimic (Calvin Rankin) (Only in flashback)
• Havok (Alex Summers) (Only in flashback)
• Polaris (Lorna Dane) (Only in flashback)
• Banshee (Sean Cassidy) (Only in flashback)
• Sunfire (Shiro Yoshida) (Only in flashback)
• Thunderbird (John Proudstar) (Only in flashback)
• Changeling (Only in flashback)
• Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff) (Only in flashback)
• Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) (Only in flashback)
• Sub-Mariner (Namor) (Only in flashback)
• Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder) (Only in flashback)
• Zabu (Only in flashback)
• Human Torch (Johnny Storm) (Only in flashback)
• Zelda Kurtzberg (Only in flashback)
• Vera Cantor (Only in flashback)
• Candy Southern (Only in flashback)
• Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange) (Only in flashback)
• Spider-Man (Peter Parker) (Only in flashback)
• Tanya Anderssen (Only in flashback)
• The Thing (Ben Grimm) (Only in flashback) (Cameo)
• Alpha Flight (Only in flashback)
  • Vindicator (Mac Hudson) (Only in flashback)
  • Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier) (Only in flashback)
  • Shaman (Michael Twoyoungmen) (Only in flashback)
  • Snowbird (Anne McKenzie) (Only in flashback)
  • Sasquatch (Walter Langkowski) (Only in flashback)
  • Aurora (Jeanne-Marie Beaubier) (Only in flashback)
• Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Only in flashback)

Locations:

• Earth
  • United States of America
    • New York
      • Westchester County
        • Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters

Items:

• Cyclops' Visor, ver. 2
• M'Kraan Crystal (Only in flashback)
  
  

Synopsis for "Elegy"

X-Men past and present attend the graveside rites for their fallen team mate, Jean Grey. Jean's grieving parents and sister attend as well. As Scott listens to the eulogy, he thinks back over the years of his relationship with Jean Grey.

He recalls the earliest days of the X-Men and how, when Jean first joined the team, they were all in love with her. He then recalls the team's first battles with Magneto^[1], Vanisher^[2] and the Blob^[3] as well as the formation of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants^[4] and the X-Men's subsequent clashes with them^[5][6].

Scott's recollections range over the course of the X-Men's history: how distant he felt isolated from his teammates when Professor X briefly put him in charge of the school and how Warren began pursuing a relationship with Jean^[7][8], their encounter with Ka-Zar in the Savage Land^[9], the encounter with the Stranger that saw the defeat of their old enemies Magneto and Toad^[10], and their battles against the Juggernaut^[11][12] and the Sentinels^[13][14][15].

In quick succession, he recalls battles against the likes of Mimic^[16], Count Nefaria^[17][18], the Locust^[19], Kulculkhan^[20][21], Banshee^[22], the Super-Adaptoid^[23], Warlock^[24], and Cobalt Man. He thinks back to how Warren's eventual relationship with Candy Southern cleared the way for Scott and Jean to pursue their own relationship^[25].

The threats would continue to come, however, with the return of Juggernaut (whom they defeated with the aid of Dr. Strange^[26][27]), their battle with Tyrannus and the Mole Man^[28], their first encounter with Spider-Man^[29], Mekkano^[30] and the ongoing war against Factor Three^[31][32] which ended with a graduation and the group getting unique costumes^[33].

He remembers the day they battle Grotesk^[34], a battle that saw the seeming demise of Professor X^[35] and the government-ordered (though temporary) dissolution of the X-Men. He recalls a non-stop whirlwind of adventures such as saving Lorna Dane from Mesmero and a Magneto robot^[36][37][38], rescuing his own brother Alex from the Living Monolith^[39][40][41], and later stopping Larry Trask's Sentinels^[42][43][44] as well as battles with Sauron^[45][46], Magneto and his Savage Land Mutates^[47][48] and the Japanese mutant Sunfire^[49].

He then recalls how the very much alive Professor X resurfaced to prevent an invasion from the alien Z'Nox^[50][51] and how Hank quit the team was mutated into his more furry form^[52].

Scott's mind then focuses on the formation of the new X-Men to save the old team from the mutant island Krakoa^[53] and their first mission against Count Nefaria^[54] that ended with Thunderbird's death^[55]. He recalls the capture of Jean and several X-Men by Stephen Lang's Sentinels^[56][57] that would lead to the rebirth of Jean as Phoenix^[58], battling the threats of Black Tom and Juggernaut^[59][60], the return of Magneto^[61], the arrival of Empress Lilandra^[62] and how Phoenix saved the universe from destruction by stabilizing the M'Kraan Crystal^[63] and afterwards their battle with Weapon Alpha^[64].

He recalls how their abductions by Mesmero^[65] and Magneto^[66][67][68] would lead Scott and Jean to each believe the other dead. Scott and the X-Men would go on to help save the Savage Land from Sauron^[69] and Garrok^[70], Japan from Moses Magnum^[71][72]. The X-Men would also clash with Alpha Flight in Canada^[73][74] over Wolverine.

While Cyclops and the X-Men were battling Arcade, Scott recalls, Jean was being secretly seduced by their old foe Mastermind^[75][76]. He remembers their clash with Proteus^{[77][78][79][80]} and how the team - now reunited with Phoenix - would meet Kitty Pryde and attempt to recruit her into the X-Men only to be ambushed by the Hellfire Club^[81] and how the Hellfire Club manipulated Jean into becoming their Black Queen^[82], unleashing her Dark Phoenix persona^[83] and ultimately leading her to sacrifice her life^[84].

With Scott's recollection complete, he offers his condolences for Jean's parents. Lilandra offers them as well and gives the Greys a gift: a holomatrix globe that will fill them with Jean's essence whenever they touched it.

After most of the mourners have left, Scott informs the Professor and his team mates that he's quitting the X-Men. The Professor understands and wishes Scott the best of luck, remarking on how proud he is of him.

But just as one X-Men leaves their ranks, a new one arrives. A cab pulls up in front of Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and out comes Kitty Pride who sits on the steps waiting for the X-Men to come home from the funeral.

Notes

• Scott's recollections adhere to the published adventures very well, but they do contain one contradiction: Scott states that he and Jean began dating for real the same night that Angel introduced the team to his longtime girlfriend Candy Southern and the same night that Professor X was kidnapped by the evil Factor Three, which would be X-Men Vol 1 32 and X-Men Vol 1 33. While it was well-established by that point that Scott and Jean had feelings for each other, the issue in question does not actually contain the scene as it happens in Scott's recollections here. There is a scene in which he says he will admit his feelings for her soon, but doesn't. Furthermore, in X-Men Vol 1 48, Scott comments to Jean about how he's "pretending to be her boyfriend" in order to scare off an unwanted suitor, indicating that at least at that point they were not yet involved. (Given the circumstances of this issue, however, it would be fair to say that Scott was just mis-remembering events and indulging in some wishful thinking on how he would have liked that moment to have gone.)
• Claremont-ism: Scott: "Jean I love you!" Jean: "And I you, Scott, with all my heart."
• This is the end of the "Dark Phoenix Saga". The plot covers the issues X-Men #129 through #138.
  

Trivia

• In the originally intended storyline, in which Jean survived her bout as Dark Phoenix, there would have been an alternate framing sequence in which Scott reminisces while taking a walk with Jean. The original splash page artwork, depicting Scott and Jean together, was included as a bonus feature in Phoenix: The Untold Story Vol 1 1.
• The tombstone lists Jean Grey's birthdate as 1956, making her 24 years old at this point.
• With this issue, the cover price rises to 50 cents.

See Also

• Write your own review of this comic!
• Discuss X-Men Vol 1 138 on the forums
• 6 Images from X-Men Vol 1 138
• 2 Reprints of X-Men Vol 1 138
  

Recommended Reading

• X-Men #137 - "Jean Grey" dies.
  

Links and References

• The Official Marvel Index to the X-Men #7 - See for further referencing
• The Official Marvel Index to the X-Men Vol 2 #3 - See for further referencing

Footnotes